Europe gets Nintendo DS Web browser

Europeans can now get their hands on the Opera Web browser for the Nintendo DS, leaving the United States as the only major country still without an official DS Internet browser application.

The browser comes with a GBA cartridge, which fits in the lower slot on the DS and is needed to use the Opera browser. Like the Japanese version that was released in February, Europeans have two versions, one each for the original DS and the DS Lite. The DS Lite has a slightly smaller GBA slot.

The two screens offer an unique way to view Web sites. Users can either expand a page to fit both screens or use one screen to zoom in on a Web site while the other screen persistently shows the entire site.

The browser cartridge is available in Europe for 40 Euro ($50), a significant increase over the ,800 yen ($31) price in Japan. While it is expected that the browser will eventually find its way to the US, no official stateside release date has been set.